Once Upon a Cowboy by Maggie McGinnis Review

In this sexy Whisper Creek romance for
readers of Kristan Higgins, Susan Mallery, and Molly O’Keefe, a red-hot cowboy
uses some Montana magic to give a reclusive beauty her happily ever after.

Yoga instructor Jessalyn Alcott radiates peace, calm,
and serenity—on the outside. Inside, she still feels like the broken, desperate
girl from the trailer park. She’s got dark secrets she can’t share, which is why
she never lets her relationships go beyond the third date. But when she travels
to the Whisper Creek dude ranch for a friend’s wedding, Jess is enchanted by a
cowboy whose deep blue eyes, dimpled smile, and rock-hard body make it tough to
remember why she keeps running scared.

Cole Driscoll has struggled to find his place on a
family ranch where he’s always played second fiddle. His future might be
uncertain, but he’s sure of one thing: He wants Jess by his side. Easier said
than done. When it comes to getting close, she’s full of excuses, and he longs
to fix the hurt he sees in her eyes. Now that she’s at Whisper Creek, there’s
nothing he wants more than to break down the walls around her heart and heal
her pain with the power of love.

When
you see the title if this book, you are deceived into thinking that this is
only a lighthearted cowboy romance, and while in part that is true, this book
is also about survival.

Our story
is about a woman called Jess, on the surface she is this fun and sexy yoga
instructor, who brought her best friends out to a ranch in Montana to learn how
to ride. But that is also where both of her friends found love and Jess falls
for Cole. Cole is eager to see Jess again, but he is not quite ready for a
relationship and Jess doesn't feel worthy of one.

But as
I said, that is surface Jess, but that is not all who Jess is! She is a survivor
of abuse from a parent and from a boyfriend, but no one knows that side of her
and she plans for them to never find out...until her past come back to haunt
her!

Man!
What a book! It honestly takes you on a rollercoaster of emotions, and I can
honestly say, by the end of the book I was exhausted. Be warned! This is not a
book that you can put down, it is a book that will keep you up till you finish
it and stay in your thoughts for days.

Okay,
so let's get to the basic of the book. I am not one for flashbacks; I feel that
they take away from the story...except in this case! I think having that entire
back story in the beginning would take away from the storyline. It flowed well
and I found myself easily gripped by the storyline. I found the characters to
be likeable (especially the camp kids) and I enjoyed knowing their back
stories. Now this book is a part of a series that I have not read, but that
didn't matter (other than the fact that it made me want to read them), it was
easy to jump right into the story, as the author provided you all the
background that you need.

Overall
the book is very enjoyable; it sucked me in, left me emotionally drained but
very satisfied. I give Once Upon A Cowboy 9 out of 10.

Maggie
McGinnis, USA Today Bestselling Author of Accidental Cowgirl and Driving
Without a License, which was a finalist for Romance Writers of America’s Golden
Heart Award is a former high school English teacher, an accomplished musician,
and a certified black belt, who lives in New England with her family.